The endless silence of a Chinese spokesperson when asked about the “Covid Zero” policy

A deafening silence. As tensions persist in China on the sidelines of the historic demonstrations organized in various cities against the “Covid Zero” policy implemented in the “Middle Kingdom”, many questions remain unanswered.

Among them, that of knowing if, in the face of popular discontent, the authorities, who called for repression to contain the national movement, were going to loosen or not sanitary control.

two long silences

This Tuesday at a press conference, the question was put directly to Zhao Lijian, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Given the growing frustration with the ‘Covid zero’ policy, does China plan to end it and when?” asks a Reuters reporter.

Faced with this question, the official seems to freeze and does not answer. After about thirty seconds of deafening silence, Zhao Lijian offers his interlocutor to ask the question again, which the journalist does in the same terms. Another long silence followed, this time ending with an embarrassed response from the spokesperson:

“What you mention does not reflect what is really happening.”

Call for repression

During this same speech, however, the spokesman returned to the difficult situation his country is going through.

“China is a country governed by the rule of law, and the various legal rights and freedoms enjoyed by Chinese citizens are fully guaranteed in accordance with the law. At the same time, all rights and freedoms must be exercised within the framework of the law. ,” he warned.

On Tuesday, the Chinese Communist Party’s Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which oversees the implementation of the law, said it should “resolutely suppress, in accordance with the law, criminal actions aimed at disrupting social order and resolutely protect social stability.” Social”.

The protest comes after almost three years of harsh sanitary restrictions against the covid and in a context of public frustration with the Chinese political system, a month after Xi Jinping was re-elected for an unprecedented third term at the helm of the country.